Hello all,My name is Michael Bell Indigenous Liaison Officer with the Australian War Memorial, I have just come across your website and would be interested in any servicemen of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders descent that you may have identified. I have carriage of the National list to identify and recognise the contribution and service of the men and women. Any assistance that you could provide would be invaluable.

I am told that approximately 15% of Military Medal recommendations do not appear on the Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards (Recommendations: First World War) online database. My man Burke appears to one of these guys, I have been to the Gazette’s London and Australia with no luck, the book by Michael Maton Gallantry and distinguished service awards to the Australian Army during the First World War : the Military Medal, again with no luck.

I was hoping that this research may have already have been done by someone in your association, such as report based on records such as war diaries, routine orders and other material that will help identify when and where the Military Medal was gained and hopefully the reasons for the awards. This is my ultimate goal.

Sorry but I don't record Jim Burke as an Aboriginal or is he so in his service file, while its possible when you read his file being dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair, while this in its self does not mean he was Aboriginal as this was on many AIF men's records.

As to his MM, I have not found why it was given, but I believe he may have been in either Lt Byrnes Troop or Lt Currie's Troop with Troop Sgt Pat Kelly who gained a DCM in action outside Amman 25 Sept 1918. The story is in a number of books (5th LHR history & From Law to War) but Jim Burke fails to get a mention anywhere?

I have placed a long list of known aboriginal soldiers in the LH with some personal details, I have found over the years and that list has been reproduced by many others over the years on a number of sites?